The New York Red Bulls reportedly plan to hire former Portuguese midfielder Paulo Sousa as the club’s next head coach, with one-time U.S. national team captain Claudio Reyna set to serve as his top assistant.

New York has been without a coach since Hans Backe left more than two months ago and has made several significant roster moves in the interim under the guidance of new sporting director Andy Roxburgh.

The New York Red Bulls are expected to pick Paulo Sousa as the franchise's next head coach. (AP Photo)

New Jersey-based Soccer By Ives reported Sousa’s imminent appointment on Monday, citing sources familiar with the deal. Sousa’s name first surfaced on Jan. 5 when ESPN’s Alexi Lalas, a former Red Bulls GM, mentioned the Portuguese manager as a “good bet” to take the job.

Sousa, 42, most recently coached Hungary’s Videoton FC but was released last week for “family reasons,” according to the club. He joined Videoton in May 2011 after two-plus years working in England and Wales and led the Székesfehérvár-based team to second place in Hungary’s top tier in 2011-12 and then into the group stage of this season’s UEFA Europa League.

“The results of his work speak clearly for itself,” the club announced last week. “Videoton FC were able to return to European football's top flight as a result of his professional coaching, which we would like to thank to the maximum.”

SBI reported that Sousa will be officially named this week – the MLS draft is scheduled for Thursday in Indianapolis – and that Reyna already has left the U.S. Soccer Federation, where he had been serving as youth technical director. Now 39, the New Jersey native concluded his glittering career with a short stint with the Red Bulls in 2007-08.

If appointed, Sousa will be the Red Bulls’ third consecutive foreign coach, following Backe and Colombian Juan Carlos Osorio. Of the 11 permanent (non-interim) managers the hard-luck club has hired during its 17 mostly-frustrating years of existence, only two – Bob Bradley and Bruce Arena – have been American.

Foreign coaches lacking significant experience in U.S. soccer have struggled in MLS and only one, former Colorado Rapids head man Gary Smith, has managed to win a league championship. Roxburgh, a Scotsman, has no such ties either but Reyna’s addition could resolve any issues the club’s technical staff might have negotiating the peculiar American soccer landscape.

Sousa was an accomplished midfielder known for being part of Portugal’s “golden generation,” a group that won consecutive FIFA Under-20 World Cups in 1989 and 1991. He starred primarily for clubs in Portugal, Italy and Germany and won UEFA Champions League titles with Juventus (’96) and Borussia Dortmund (’97).

He played 51 times for his country and he coached at various levels of Portugal’s national team program after retiring in 2002. Sousa took his first head coaching job with England’s Queen’s Park Rangers in November ’08 but was fired five months later following a dispute with club management. He took over at Swansea City shortly thereafter, did well and then moved on to Leicester City in July ’10. He was fired several months later after a poor start to the season.

The Red Bulls are the only MLS team currently operating without a head coach. Scotsman Gary McAllister had been considered the favorite to land the gig and was quoted less than a month ago as saying that he was “greatly interested” in the position. New York will kick off the 2013 season on March 3 at the Portland Timbers.